you don't have to pretend with me
by abbyli
Summary: Stefan never leaves Caroline's side after saving her from the wolves. Post 2x13 "Daddy Issue", serious smut and lemon. caroline/stefan


_**you don't have to pretend me with me**_

* * *

He gently guided her to the door, his hand on the small of her back. She carefully unlocked the bolt, clicking it open and stepping over the threshold.

"Is your mom home?" he found himself asking.

"No, she's at work. She won't be back until about two." She turned in the doorway to look at him, her hand resting against the frame.

"How are you? Really?"

"I'm fine, Stefan," she sighs, a small smile peaking her lips up. "Really."

"Caroline, you have been through hell tonight. You don't have to pretend with me. Especially after what you have gone through," he whispered.

Caroline gave him a gentle smile. "I'm fine," she murmured again. "It's okay. You can go home."

He sighed tiredly. "I don't really want to go home." Her eyebrows raised in surprise and he sighed again. "I just can't."

And then she understood. Stepping backwards, she opened the door wider, allowing him access into the house.

**. . .**

She was just starting to get used to being a vampire and liking the way it made her body feel. She hardly ever felt pain, whenever she received a bruise or a cut, the injury would heal over immediately, and she barely needed food when she fed steadily. After bringing in the freezer of blood bags that were safely hidden in the basement, everything felt pretty darn good.

But now, her body was so full of vervain, wooden chips and stickers, still healing wounds, and blood coating her head to toe. It wasn't the best feeling in the world.

Caroline undressed slowly, letting her bloody clothes fall to the floor. She had offered the other bathroom to Stefan, leaving him a bunch of clean towels and some sheets. She wanted to get her clothes washed and cleaned before her mother got home and found them. If she found out what had happened, she would expose Tyler and try to kill the Salvatore brothers for sure.

After shedding the rest of her clothes, she stepped into the bathroom, hitting the plug in the tub and turning on the scalding hot water. The water slowly started to fill up the large basin, filling the bathroom with the scents of cherry bark and vanilla. She found a small pack of dried violets that her mother had given her and threw them into the hot water as well, allowing that aroma to blend in with the others.

Caroline let a small sigh escape her as she sank into the tub, not caring as it overflowed onto the floor. And then she sank down under the water, letting her head submerge. Right now, she just didn't care.

But then, hands reached in and pulled her out by her shoulders. Water sprayed all over the place and spattered mostly on the front of her savior.

"Caroline! What the hell are you doing?!"

She gave him a weak shove in the shoulder. "What's it to you? I'm fine."

His eyes bored into hers, almost like he was trying to compel her. "Please don't do that," he finally whispered. "You scared the hell out of me."

She finally shook him off, wrapping an arm around her very bare chest. "Always looking out for me, huh Stefan?" she muttered sarcastically.

"Caroline-"

"Stefan, just go! All right, just go!" Her voice then broke and she quickly turned her face away. "Just go home to Elena and leave me alone."

It then became so quiet and still that she was sure that he had left. But when her exhausted lids fluttered open again, she found him standing right where he was minutes before.

"If I had wanted to go home to Elena, I would have done it by now," he murmured.

Caroline stared for a split second before shaking herself out of it. "Oh," was her meek reply.

He watches her for a moment, his eyes raking over her beraggled form. Then he steps over to the countertop by the sink and picks up a bottle of shampoo.

"What are you doing?" she asks.

"Just shut up for a minute, okay?"

She watches him with wide eyes as he sits down on the lidded toilet, pouring a sizable amount of shampoo into his palm. Caroline settles her head on the side and he gently starts to massage the soap into her scalp.

His fingers work deep into her hair, massaging right into the skin. She feels her eyes start to close and sleep starting to take over.

Stefan continues to massage her scalp, moving the soap deep in. Then he picks up the shower massager and turns it onto warm, running the head over her hair. The soap starts trickle out, pooling around her elbows into a foamy cloud.

"Stefan..." What the hell is going on? Why is she tempted to leap out of the water and jump his bones?

So this is what making love is. There isn't even sexual contact, it's just...tender touches, tender words that are like whispers.

"Caroline..."

That's when her mouth finds his.

The kiss is like the beating of angel's wings. It's feather light, so gentle. It's unlike any kiss she had ever had received before.

Suddenly, a thick downy towel is around her shoulders and she is being lifted from the water. Stefan carries her from the bathroom and into the adjoining bedroom. Their lips remained connected, soft and hard, gentle and pushy. Moments later, they were encased in the covers, mouths against each other's.

Finally, she gently pulled away, gasping for air. "Stefan-we really shouldn't-but-"

That 'but' was all either of them really needed to hear.

She carefully undoes the zipper on his sweatshirt, gently pushing it over his shoulders. She notices the still healing vervain laced scratches on his neck, wincing along with him as the sweatshirt finally comes off. She works off his teeshirt, her eyes widening at the sight of those damn abs.

Whoa...Elena's been holding out on her.

She notices the rose tattoo on his shoulder for the first time. He had always worn long sleeves around her so she had never seen it before.

"When did you get this?" she whispers, her fingertips brushing against the painted petals. She sees a date written on the stem. 1982.

"I got that in 1982, right after a Bon Jovi concert. Lexi dared me too," he whispers, a tiny smile finally lifting his lips up. A tiny smile that he only reserved for her.

"I see that you won the dare," she chuckles, leaning down and pressing her lips to his bicep, gently tracing the outlines of the petals.

"And what about this?" he asks, lifting up her wrist and gesturing to the tiny dove that she had gotten the year before.

"Another dare," she smiles. "This time, it came from Bonnie."

He kisses the dove, then kisses her again. Her arms come up and circle his neck, pulling themselves together in an entanglement of limbs. He returns the kiss with just as much energy, both of them shucking off the rest of their clothing at human speed.

Even though they were both vampires, there really was no need for the full speed. They wanted to savor it-treasure it. It was a moment that was going to remain with them forever.

And it was only going to happen once. Because tomorrow, he would go home to Elena and she would continue to allow Tyler and Matt to pursue her. This was a night that was only going to be between them and never be heard of again.

Only with a filmy sheet covering them, Stefan gently pushed her back onto the mattress. Her dark blond hair framed her face, almost like a halo, her cheeks rosy and warm with pleasure that was building up so high. His lips continued to trace her throat, gentle pressure at all of those pulse points that heightened everything.

Despite his lips being on her throat, she wasn't afraid. She couldn't help but remember the last time she had slept with Damon and he had pulled his fangs on her, taking quite a bit of blood until she was about ready to pass out. He was quite brutal in bed, especially with that fact that he used her as his plaything.

But this was different. This was making love-joy, passion, excitement.

She caught his lips once again, not breaking contact. Stefan's hand began to skim down her belly, dipping in between her thighs. She let out a small sigh into his mouth, twitching involuntarily when a finger slipped in between the folds.

"Just relax," he murmured against her mouth, somehow knowing that she was thinking about Damon. "It's going to be all right."

And it was. She knew it with all of her heart.

His thumb caught her clit, the gentlest of pressure right on the pulse point. Her hips trembled and pleasure continued to pool in her belly. Her juices were already flowing and he caught them between his fingertips.

He then added the rest of his finger, slipping it inside of her with the most delicate force. She let out another cry, this time in sheer pleasure and frustration too at the teasing.

"Damn it, Stefan!" she cried, bringing his mouth back down to hers. She needed something to do, something to concentrate on before she flipped him over and rode him like there was no tomorrow.

He laughed aloud, allowing her to use that force on him but still pulling his mouth away. His lips resumed their fierce practice on her throat and then down to her collarbone, causing her to shiver. His free hand came down to hold her quaking hips steady as he pushed her thighs further and further apart. His mouth continued to move southward, skimming down to her breasts. He kissed the very tip of a nipple, just the tip, and then moved over to the other one. His tongue moved down to her soft belly, dipping down into her navel and releasing it with a _pop_.

And then his mouth took over what his fingers were doing between her thighs. She let out another moan, not being able to handle it anymore. She needed him inside of her and now.

"Stop teasing me, Stefan!" she growled, just a shadow of red behind her lovely blue eyes.

He smirked into the velvet goodness, continuing on his evil practice of lapping and suckling. Her juices continued to flow steadily into his mouth and he swallowed, licking up the excess like a chicken dinner.

She let out another moan, her nails raking over his shoulders. She couldn't take it anymore.

And then he was inside of her. Just like that-so quick and precise that she had no idea that it had happened.

Their mouths were connected once again, their hips chained together. He allowed her a moment to get used to him inside of her, especially with his size, and when she arched her hips up, it was time.

He moved steadily, gentle even thrusts that were slowly building up to something. She moved with him, their rhythms matching perfectly.

That pool in her belly was full and ready to burst. With each pound, it grew harder and harder. That was when the fangs finally did come out.

He caught one fang between his lips, allowing the razor sharp edge to pierce the inside of his bottom lip. And suddenly, the most heavenly of blood was trickling down her throat. It wasn't like any other blood she had ever tasted before in her short vampire life. It was rich, thick, full, sweet to the taste. Only if vampires could survive just on vampire blood, maybe it would be an easier place.

Her hand caught his chest, gently pushing him over on his back. She let her fangs loosen and the excess blood trekked down the side of his jaw.

"It's okay," he whispered. She needed blood after tonight, having hadn't had a chance to get a blood bag from the basement. And he was here and he was saying that it was all right. "You can," he murmured again.

And she did. But she made sure to make it delicate and gentle, not brutal. He was willing and that would lessen the pain significantly. Their hips still connected together, she felt her fangs slip out one more time and then found that exact vein point in the throat. They slid into his throat with ease and she felt him relax beneath her, a tiny moan of desire escaping him.

She took only as much as she dared without hurting him, but it was still enough to ease her craving. With a gentle ease of the head, his lips were on her throat again, the tiny sting of his own fangs slipping in without even barely a notice.

That was the difference between giving blood against her will and allowing it to happen. Stefan made sure to be delicate and tender and Damon would just take it and ease his own cravings.

Stefan pulled away after only a minute, her blood coating his lips like lipstick. She brought up a finger and smeared it against his mouth, returning the almost forgotten kiss. The lovemaking wasn't over yet.

She pushed him back down onto the pillows, pressing delicate and wet open mouthed kisses to his throat and jaw. Her hand toyed with his nipples, causing them to become hard and erect beneath her fingertips. Another groan escaped him and she could feel his member stiffening against her thigh.

"My word..." she giggled.

"If you don't stop doing that-I swear to God-Caroline!"

She was straddling him, her hands practically pinning his hands against the mattress. And then, using his torso as support, she lowered herself around him, her walls taking him in like it was always meant to be. They remained still for a moment, again adjusting to the size and then she began to move, taking the lead this time.

His hand came up to cup one of her breasts, his thumb circling the tip of a nipple. His hand then slipped around her muscled back, pulling himself up to meet her in the middle. Their arms circled each other, their mouths becoming one all over again. He took the lead away from her, another vicious and agonizingly pleasurable round of thrusts that caused her eyes to roll back into her head.

Her blunt teeth grazed his shoulder before finding his lips again. Their mouths molded together in perfect form, his tongue slipping inside hers to explore. He continued to thrust into her, bringing that climax higher and higher until she couldn't stand it.

With a wail of ecstasy, she came, her juices flowing and coating his cock. A hand came down to catch those juices, bringing his fingers back up to their mouths. They each darted out their tongues to take a lick. He followed her not long after, emptying himself deep inside of her.

"I love you," she sighed, knowing deep down that it was always true.

"And I you," he breathed back, slipping out. They slide back down onto the bed, still molded together as one, arms and legs entwined. "I'm sorry."

"I know."

* * *

_She finds herself standing on a autumn leaf covered hill, all the colors so glorious and breathtaking. _

"_Oh, my gosh..." She looks around, realizing that she is on the old Salvatore property, in the height of it's glory. The mansion stands tall and proud, pristine to the eyes and absolutely amazing. _

"_Wow..." _

"_Nice, isn't it?" She turns and sees him walking towards her, adorn in clothing that she sees in old costume shops nowadays. _

"_Is this when you were human?" she asks, glancing down at herself. She is still in her normal designer jeans and jackets, decker boots covering her feet. This is his dream that he is inviting her to join. One of the greatest gifts that a vampire can give, let alone to another vampire. _

"_The year is 1862, about a year before it all went to hell in a hand basket," Stefan says, his arm slipping around her waist. "It was a good year." _

_A year before Katherine showed up, before Damon hated him, before everything..._

"_Well..." she gently prods his shoulder. "Aren't you going to show me around?" _

* * *

_They are in the crab apple orchard, laying in the sweet deer grass underneath a tall and luscious tree, branches heavy with blossoms. He sits with his back against the tree, legs spread and she rests her head in his lap, his fingers playing with her hair. He braids daisies into her hair, the centers of the flowers practically matching the golden tresses. _

"_Thank you," she sighs, her eyes slipping open and meeting his. "This really is an amazing gift." _

"_I wish I could capture this moment forever," he whispers, sounding so unlike himself but then again, so like himself. _

_She rises slowly, a shower of daisies slipping to the ground by their legs. "But we can, Stefan. It's always here." _

_He gave her a weak smile. "Is it?" _

_She tries to ignore the tears that suddenly bloom in her eyes. "I want this," she sighs. "I want to be human, at peace, and happy. But I know that it can never happen again so I accepted what I am now. Who I am. And I take what I can get, like capturing a moment like this forever." _

* * *

Her eyes open.

And she is alone. Or so she thinks.

She sits up slowly, pulling the sheets up over her bare chest.

"Stefan?"

"I'm right here." She sees him exit the bathroom, his jeans snug around his hips. Her eyes rake his still sweaty form, those damn abs practically glistening.

"You all right?" she whispers, bringing her knees up to her chest.

He lets out a small sigh, sinking down on the edge of the bed with his back to her. For the first time, she notices a crescent shaped scar on his lower shoulder blade, a perfect half circle.

Katherine's bite.

"Are we going to be okay here, Caroline?" he whispers. "After tonight, are we going to have what we used to have?"

Caroline leaned forward slightly, her fingertip brushing across the raised puckered skin of the scar. "Let me ask you something," she whispers just as quietly. "Would you have ever slept with Lexi?"

His eyes rise and meet hers. And deep down, they both know that answer.

He leans forward then, brushing his lips against hers in the most tender of kisses. There isn't even really any passion in that kiss, just love.

That's all they have to offer each other in that moment. Love and joy.

"With you..." he begins slowly. "With you I am happy."

She doesn't say anything back. No words are needed.

* * *

**This has been sitting on my flash drive for a long time. I hit a writer's block and couldn't finish it until a few nights ago. I knew I wanted to put the dream in there in the end where Stefan shows Caroline when he was human. I also wanted to include that line 'capture this moment forever' because to me, that is one of the greatest love lines ever written. I still think and always will believe that Caroline and Stefan are soulmates. **


End file.
